New Visa Norms favourable to Doctors wanting to practice medicine in UK: British Council

The candidates earlier had to take exams like IELTS or OET to register with Nursing and Midwifery Council and the General Medical Council which are the two healthcare boards in the UK and they also had to clear IELTS (UKVi) to apply for visa.

According to the British Council, since the benchmark of English tested for the registration as healthcare professional was already high, there was no need for duplication of the exercise and the change in visa norms will make practising medicine in the UK smooth for healthcare professionals.

The change in norms has also been welcomed by officials at Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment, which conducts the Occupational English Test (OET).

"The UK Home Office has streamlined English language testing ensuring that doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives who have already passed an English language test accepted by the relevant professional body, do not have to sit another test before entry to the UK on a Tier 2 visa," said Sujata Stead, CEO, Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment.

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"This change will make sure that hospitals and medical practices across the country will be able to access the staff they need more quickly," she added.

The change is applicable to all Tier 2 (general) visa applications submitted from October 1.